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From: chuq@sun.uucp (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: MacTerminal 2.0 Horror Story
Message-ID: <3295@sun.uucp>
Date: Wed, 26-Feb-86 12:17:15 EST
Article-I.D.: sun.3295
Posted: Wed Feb 26 12:17:15 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Feb-86 22:10:27 EST
References: <870@spp2.UUCP>
Organization: Third Person, Omniscient
Lines: 54

> Now let me contrast the situation by describing how I got my 
> Microsoft File 1.02 upgrade:  I was sent a letter announcing the 
> availability of the upgrade.  The letter was accompanied by an 
> order form requesting $10 plus tax.  I filled out the form, wrote 
> a check and mailed them together.  Two weeks later, United Parcel 
> Service delivered two disks containing the new version.
> 
> I realize your upgrade is "free".  But the disks provided by 
> Microsoft, if blank, are worth at least $5 at retail.  The upgrade 
> required no long distance phone calls to their customer service 
> department.  It required no long distance phone calls to a 
> distributor's corporated headquarters.  Rather than requiring five 
> trips to individual computer stores, it required just one visit to 
> a mail box.
> 
> Please consider changing your method of distributing software 
> upgrades.  And please answer this letter as soon as possible.  I 
> would like to know what you feel about the trouble I went through 
> to get my MacTerminal 2.0 upgrade and what you will do to prevent 
> a similar hassle from happening to me and the rest of your 
> customers again.

I have to agree with this. I don't normally patronize an Authorized
Apple Dealer unless I'm buying something specifically from Apple (such as
the Mac, MacProject, or MacTerminal). I've been snooping about looking for a
copy of MacTerminal 2.0, and haven't found a copy at a dealer yet. Apple
hasn't bothered to inform me that it is available -- I found that out here
on the net, and didn't bother to inform me that it wasn't going to be
available in Fall of 1985 as it originally informed me. sigh.

I had similar problems with the finder upgrade, way back when. The local
Apple Dealer did have those disks, and were more than happy to make copies
for me, but only after I (1) showed them my original disks, and (2) bought a
box of disks from them that they could then use to make the copies. $50 for
a box of disks I didn't really need, for a 'free' upgrade. They even offered
me the free upgrade of MacDraw at the time, even though I hadn't bought it.

I realize there there are something like 300,000 mac's out there in the real
world (so much for the Mac being a flaming failure in the marketplace...)
but the current distribution setup for upgrades isn't really working. Apple
really ought to take a close look at their customer support organization and
rethink their hotline and upgrade policies. I would MUCH rather pay the
$5.00 or $10.00 for upgrades knowing I was getting them from the source, and
knowing that I was going to be informed when they were available than saving
a few bucks and spending lots of my time (to date, I've put in about 10
manhours trying to track down Macterminal 2.0) for a 'free' upgrade.

chuq
-- 
:From catacombs of Castle Tarot:        Chuq Von Rospach 
chuq@sun.ARPA				FidoNet: 125/84
{decwrl,decvax,hplabs,ihnp4,pyramid,seismo,ucbvax}!sun!chuq

Somehow, Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...